Money clip

ABSTRACT

A PAPER MONEY CLIP MADE OF A LENGTH OF SPRING WIRE IN THE FORM OF A RECTANGULAR CYLINDRICAL HELIX OF LESS THAN TWO TURNS BUT MORE THAN ONE TURN WITH THE HELICAL PITCH EQUAL TO THE DIAMETER OF THE SPRING WIRE. A SLIP-ON CARRIER PLATE IS DETENTED TO SPACED PARALLEL RUNS OF TGHE HELIX AND CLOSES A PORTION OF THE CENTRAL CROSS-SECTION OF THE HELIX, THE DETENT ALSO PROVIDING A CONNECTION POINT FOR A SECURING CHAIN. A RESILIENT PAD IS SECURED TO THE PAPER MONEY FACING SURFACE OF THE CARRIER PLATE AND FUNCTIONS WITH THE PLATE TO RETAIN COINS, AND IN THE ABSENCE OF THE LATTER PRESSES DIRECTLY AGAINST THE OUTERMOST PIECE OF PAPER MONEY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL HOLDING FRICTION THEREFOR.

Jan. 19; 1971 CQCCHIARALEY 3,555,623

MONEY CLIP Filed April 1, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheetl lA/l f/vl'ae PATRlCK 17 HIARALE Jan. 19, 1971 F'. T. COCCHIARALEY I 3,555,623

MONEY CLIP Filed April 1, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATRlCK IT COCCIHHRHLEY 1 8.

WM M

A TTOXWEY United States Patent T 3,555,623 MONEY CLIP Patrick T. Cocchiaraley, 350 Wayland Road, Cherry Hill, NJ. 08034 Filed Apr. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 717,825 Int. Cl. A44b 21/00 U.S. CI. 24-81 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A paper money clip made of a length of spring wire in the form of a rectangular cylindrical helix of less than two turns but more than one turn with the helical pitch equal to the diameter of the spring wire. A slip-on carrier plate is detented to spaced parallel runs of the helix and closes a portion of the central cross-section of the helix, the detent also providing a connection point for a securing chain. A resilient pad is secured to the paper money facing surface of the carrier plate and functions with the plate to retain coins, and in the absence of the latter presses directly against the outermost piece of paper money to rovide additional holding friction therefor.

This invention re ates generally to money clips intended to hold one or more paper money certificates securely together but in such fashion that any desired single bill can be readily removed from the stack Without disturbing the position of any of the other certificates. Accordingly, the provision of such a money clip is a primary object of my invention.

Another object of my invention is to provide a clip for paper money of such configuration that paper bill certificates are held securely by a uniquely configured form of spring wire or other suitable material so that they cannot be accidentally or surreptitiously dislodged from the clip.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel money clip as aforesaid which also includes a carrier plate suitable for retaining in concealed position one or more coins of a desired size for emergency use.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a novel money clip as aforesaid which in a preferred form is made from spring wire so configured that the clamping forces on the paper money certificates held within the clip are generated by torsion forces in the clip elements rather than by fiexural forces.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with an examination of the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the money clip according to the invention on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the money clip seen in top perspective in FIG. 1, also enlarged;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the money clip as would be seen when viewed along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the money clip as would be seen when viewed along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view as would be seen when viewed along the line 5--5 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are plan views showing the method of inserting paper money certificates into the novel money clipaccording to the invention;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the money clip illustrating storage of two coins in the carrier plate;

3,555,623 Patented Jan. 19, 1971 FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the money clip as seen in FIG. 8 but with paper money certificates operatively held in the clip;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating extraction of an interior certificate from a pack of paper money certificates; and

FIG. 11 is an enlarged sectional view as would be seen when viewed along the line 1111 of FIG. 10.

In the several figures, like elements are denoted by like reference characters.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 through 5 it is observed that the money clip is formed from a rectangular cylindrical helix of spring wire designated generally as 20, and of approximately one and one-half turns, to which is clipped a carrier plate designated generally as 21. The helix is formed of distinctly defined serially continuously connected legs or runs 22 through 28, with the shorter legs 23, 25 and 27 defining the sides of the clip while the longer legs 22, 24, 26 and 28 define what would best be termed the ends of the money clip. By virtue of the rectangular cylindrical configuration of the helix, legs 22 and 26 lie directly above one another as do legs 24 and 28, while short leg 23 is disposed in spaced relation above its underlying corresponding short leg 27 by virtue of the upwardly sloped ends 22a and 24a of legs 22 and 24 which join short leg 23.

The space between short legs 23 and 27 so formed permits easy entry of paper money certificates between the pairs of certificate clamping longer legs 22-26 and 2428, as is best seen in FIG. 6 wherein the direction of movement of the paper certificates 29 between the turns of the money clip is shown by arrow 30. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the terminating end of leg 28 is turned downward divergingly from overlying leg 24 to thereby define a gap or opening similar to that between the short legs 23 and 27 so that the end 29a of paper certificate pack 29 may be turned about leg 26 which functions as a fold bar, and inserted sideways under terminating downturned tail 28a as shown by arrow 31 so that the pack of certificates when fully inserted into the: money clip appears as shown in FIG. 9. As most clearly appears from FIGS. 6, 7 and 9, the paper certificates are prevented from moving laterally out of the money clip by the short legs 25 and 27 functioning as retainer elements, and are held securely between the turns of the money clip as best seen in FIG. 11 wherein the pack of certificates is clamped at one point between legs 22 and 26 and at another point between legs 24 and 28, these legs functioning as compressor elements. This compressing action is achieved through torsion forces set u in short legs 23, 25 and 27 and in long leg 26.

While use of the carrier plate designated generally as 21 is not mandatory, nevertheless it contributes several useful and desirable features. The carrier plate as shown includes a flat rectangular area 32 which terminates in a pair of wrap-around clip ears 33 and 34 respectively turned about spring wire legs 22 and 24. Carrier plate clip ear 33 is further provided with a knockout or aperture 35 through which projects a half-loop detent 36 bent into the spring wire leg 22 of the money clip. The detent 36 prevents the carrier plate 21 from slipping off of legs 22 and 24 of the money clip while at the same time providing with the wall of the carrier plate which forms the knockout 35 a securement to which a chain 37 and terminating clamp 38 may be held captive for purposes of securing the money clip to a mans belt or the inside of a womans purse.

Adhesively secured to the underside of the flat area 32 of the carrier plate is a resilient pad 39 which functions as a pressure pad against the surface of the outer paper certificate of the retained pack, as best seen in FIG. 11, to add frictional holding for retaining the pack within the clip. As best seen in FIG. 8, by properly dimensioning the ears 33 and 34 of the carrier plate 21, several coins such as dimes 40 may be inserted in concealed fashion beneath the carrier plate by inserting the coins endwise under the clip ears and against resilient pad 39 which latter presses the coins against the ears 33 and 34 to hold them in secured position.

FIG. 10 illustrates the withdrawal of a single paper certificate from a point intermediate within a pack of paper certificates without disturbing the remainder of the pack. This is accomplished by merely applying slight converging pressure to opposite edges of the certificate pack with the thumb and forefinger of one hand while grasping one end of the desired certificate between the thumb and the forefinger of the other hand, and then pulling on the certificate so that it slides smoothly out of the pack.

Having now described my invention in connection with a particularly illustrated embodiment thereof it will be appreciated that variations and modifications of my invention may now occur from time to time to those persons normally skilled in the art without departing from the essential scope or spirit thereof.

What is claimed to be new and useful:

1. A clip for holding a pack of paper money certificates comprising:

(a) a fold bar slightly longer than the width of the certificates so that the certificate pack may be folded back upon itself around the foldbar;

(b) retainer means secured to said fold bar operative to prevent a pack of certificates folded around said fold bar from shifting laterally beyond either end of said fold bar; and

(c) compressor means operative to press against the opposite outside faces of the outer one of a pack of certificates folded around said fold bar to thereby press the folded certificates against one another, said compressor means engaging one another in an overlying and underlying relationship on the absence of paper certificates from the clip.

2. A certificate clip as defined in claim 1 wherein said retainer means comprises means secured to opposite ends of said fold bar which extend laterally therefrom in the same direction for distances less than half of the length of the certificates to be held by the clip.

3. A certificate clip as defined in claim 1 wherein said compressor means comprises a pair of presser means coupled to said fold bar and resiliently shiftable away from one another to define a gap therebetween of variable height to accommodate a folded certificate pack of variable thickness, the direction of said variable gap height extending substantially orthogonally to a plane containing said fold bar and passing through said gap.

4. A certificate clip as defined in claim 1 wherein said fold bar and retainer means and compressor means all comprise a single piece of formed spring wire.

5. A clip for holding a pack of paper money certificates comprising:

(a) a fold bar slightly longer than the width of the certificates so that the certificate pack may be folded back upon itself around the fold bar;

(b) retainer means secured to said fold bar operative to prevent a pack of certificates folded around said fold bar from shifting laterally beyond either end of said fold bar;

() compressor means operative to press against the 4 opposite outside faces of the outer one of a pack of certificates folded around said fold bar to thereby press the folded certificates against one another;

(d) auxiliary pressure applying means secured to said clip in the region between said fold bar and said compressor means and operative to press against at least one outer face of the outer one of a pack of certificates folded around said fold bar.

6. A certificate clip as defined in claim 5 wherein said auxiliary pressure applying means comprises a certificate engageable resilient pad and a carrier plate to which said pad is secured, said carrier plate being mechanically coupled to at least a part of said compressor means.

7. A clip for holding a pack of paper money certificates comprising:

(a) a fold bar slightly longer than the width of the certificates so that the certificate pack may be folded back upon itself around the fold bar;

(b) retainer means secured to said fold bar operative to prevent a pack of certificates folded around said fold bar from shifting laterally beyond either end of said fold bar; and

(c) compressor means operative to press against the opposite outside faces of the outer one of a pack of certificates folded around said fold bar to thereby press the folded certificates against one another;

said fold bar and retainer means and compressor means all comprising a single piece of spring wire in the form of a generally rectangular cylindrical helix of less than two turns and more than one turn with the helical pitch equal to the diameter of the spring wire.

8. A certificate clip as defined in claim 7 further including auxiliary pressure applying means secured to said clip in the region between said fold bar and said compressor means and operative to press against at least one outer face of the outer one of a pack of certificates folded around said fold bar, said auxiliary pressure applying means comprising a certificate engageable resilient pad and a carrier plate to which said pad is secured, said carrier plate being mechanically coupled to at least a part of said compressor means.

9. A clip for holding a pack of paper money certificates comprising:

(a) a fold bar slightly longer than the width of the certificates so that the certificate pack may be folded back upon itself around the fold bar;

(b) retainer means secured to said fold bar operative to prevent a pack of certificates folded around said fold bar from shifting laterally beyond either end of said fold bar;

(c) compressor means operative to press against the opposite outside faces of the outer one of a pack of certificates folded around said fold bar to thereby press the folded certificates against one another;

said retainer means comprising means secured to opposite ends of said fold bar which extend laterally therefrom in the same direction for distances less than half of the length of the certificates to be held by the clip, and said compressor means comprising a pair of presser means coupled to said fold bar and resiliently shiftable away from one another to define a gap therebetween of variable height to accommodate a folded certificatepack of variable thickness, the direction of said variable gap height extending substantially orthogonally ,to a plane containing said fold bar and passing through said gap.

10. A certificate clip as defined in claim 9 further including auxiliary pressure applying means secured to said clip in the region between said fold bar and said compressor means and operative to press against at least one outer face of the outer one of a pack of certificates folded around said fold bar, said auxiliary pressure applying means including means for dispensably holding at least one coin.

11. A certificate clip as defined in claim 9 wherein said presser means are secured to and carried by said retainer means and extend toward and alongside of one another in overlying and underlying relationship.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Birch et a1. 1336 Gross 24-261PC Gedney 24261PC Littman 2481MCX 5 DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

